Six conversations
by magical realism
Summary: Jade West visits all her friends for her final conversations with them. Rated T for a dark suicide attempt, don't read if that is a trigger for you. One shot. Reviews please!


Six conversations

Number one:

Jade West sat on the shaggy brown couch in Beck's shabby RV. She remembered their first kiss; she remembered his one year anniversary gift to her, a song he had written himself. He'd never sang it to her, he was too shy back then and she never felt like dragging that memory up from their past to ask for a rendition. The paper the song was written on was in her messy room somewhere, probably withering and browning. With that image in her head, Jade remembered why she had to do this. "I saw you checking Tori out the other day." Cried Jade, hardening her voice. "This again?" Asked Beck rhetorically, nonchalance in his tone. Jade crossed her arms and paused for a second, preparing for what she had to do. Deliver the performance of a lifetime. Jade got up and slapped her boyfriend across the face. "What the hell!" Shouted Beck angrily, trying to hold himself back. "You're the worst boyfriend a girl could ask for!" Jade shouted back, tears brimming in her eyes despite her usually stellar acting abilities. "Well you never ask! You treat me like pet! We're not all puppets in the 'Jade West theatre' you know! Screw you. I'm sick of making up excuses for you behavior." Beck snapped, rubbing his reddened face. "So you're ending it?" Yelled Jade, surprise and bitterness in her voice. "What? Yeah. Yeah, I am. Get out of my RV." Beck said confidently. "Fine!" Spat Jade. "I don't need you or your crummy trailer or commitment issues!" Jade exited the RV and slammed the door with force. She continued to act upset until she was in her car. She drove down a few blocks and stopped her car. She smiled. She had made it all so much easier.

Number two:

"What are you doing here?" Tori Vega asked rudely when she answered the door and saw Jade. "Sit on the couch." Demanded Jade, shoving her way inside the Vega's immaculate home. Jade decided in the car that she would go the honest route with Tori. Jade watched her rival play with the end of her ponytail and try to make herself comfortable on her stiff red couch. "You're me. Just with all the bad stuff taken out. The possessiveness, the brutal honesty, the fashion sense." Tori seemed disturbed by Jade's words. "Jade?" She touched her shoulder gently. Jade had never been touched like that before. "Please…" Jade tried to be commanding but her voice cracked. "Please what?" Asked Tori softly. "Don't change yourself for anyone. Don't try to control every situation. Don't put yourself down, not ever." An actual tear streamed down Jade's face. Tori was frozen in fear, staring at the dark girl. "I have you to do that for me." Tori tried to joke. "Don't become like me." Jade finished, hugging herself. "Want to sit and talk? I can make cocoa, I'll make cocoa!" Shouted Tori, tired of the awkward situation. "No-no, I'm leaving now." Jade felt dumb announcing that. Jade got up quickly, wiping away her fast-falling tears and shivering slightly as they skidded onto her neck. Tori walked Jade to the door. Once she was over the threshold to the outside world, she stopped and faced her confused hostess. Silently, she playfully punched Tori's shoulder. With a look of understanding but not fully knowing, Tori closed the door on Jade.

Number three:

"Uhh, hi?" Andre Harris had baulked when Jade had called him and asked for them to meet at a trendy musical instrument store a few miles from their homes. "Hey." Jade said. "You're almost smiling!" Andre joked. Jade giggled and tossed her hair like a little girl. "Shut up and come with me." She ordered. Jade gently led Andre to the back of the tiny store, where a red keyboard was displayed. "Isn't that awesome?" She asked her voice smooth. "Whoa." Was all Andre could muster. Jade wordlessly pressed a small gold key into his palm. "It's yours. Open the case, dude!" She said gleefully. Andre didn't hesitate to open the glass box and press some of the keys before fully removing it from the box. "Why though?" He asked, suddenly suspicious. "Cuz I like you." She smiled. Andre looked at her for a moment before matching her grin. "You're crazy." He decided, hugging her. "Don't you forget it." She said as she pulled away. Jade contemplated staying for a while, enjoying some time with Andre, but she got up the courage to leave. She wanted someone to have a positive view of her.

Number four:

All Jade could think about was how she really despised the color yellow. Unfortunately, her best friend's walls were slathered with yellow paint. They had been since the first grade. Jade could try to have a conversation with Cat, she really could, but she couldn't sum up her feelings into words for Cat. Not words that Cat would understand. So Jade silently watched Cat act out some dialogue between two of her stuffed animals. Eventually, Jade started picking at her chipping black nail polish. Jade was glad people like Cat existed. Cat loved everyone and everything, and it was scary to think about for too long, but she did. She could even love a sociopathic wreck like Jade West. Jade wasn't afraid of hurting Cat though. She knew Cat couldn't comprehend anything on a deeper level. Or maybe that was the way she justified her treatment of her best friend. Being able to hurt Cat was just another reason why Jade deserved what she had coming. Suddenly Jade couldn't breathe. She got up and kissed Cat on top of her anime-red haired head. Then she left, not even reacting to Cat's confused voice calling out to her.

Number five:

Jade knocked on the door and waited about a minute before Robbie Shapiro answered. "Jade! Oh my God, hi! Wow, what are you doing here?" He fumbled around for his glasses until he found them in the pocket of his silk pajamas. "Shut up." She deadpanned. "When are you going to learn to fend for yourself? When are you going to learn to put on some grown-up pants and take some responsibility? That awful puppet is ruining you. Every little insult it, yes it, not he, makes tears a hole in your life. You feel those feeling towards your friends? Don't hide behind your puppet when you say them and if you can't, just say nothing at all. Tearing yourself down while using ventriloquism isn't any less sad than doing it all by yourself. Your rude, evil twin puppet is a manifestation of the hate and anger you feel towards the world and yourself because of bullying? People can only treat you poorly if you let them. Grow up. Ditch the chunk of plastic. Take some responsibility." Jade took a deep breath and prepared to stare down a stunned Robbie. His demeanor was stoic. "And silk pajamas? It's almost six p.m.!" Jade added. Robbie simply gave her a sheepish wave, which she returned, and shut the door in her face. "One more." She whispered to herself as she descended from his porch steps.

Number six:

"Cute shorts." Jade greeted Trina with that compliment as she entered Hollywood Arts. "What are you doing here? Schools not in session." Trina thought for a second. "What are _you_ doing here?" She countered as she checked herself out in her locker mirror. "I heard you and Beck are no more." She tried to make conversation as she pouted in the mirror. "Wow news travels fast." Jade said out loud, impressed. "So tell Auntie Trina all about it." She offered, placing her hand roughly on Jade's shoulder. Jade shrugged her off. "Am I scary?" She asked. Trina thought for a minute before slamming her locker door shut. "No." She answered honestly. "You're a rude punk. And you're kinda spoiled and I could probably take you in a fight." Jade could tell Trina was freeing herself with every blunt word. Jade nodded. "I get it. Bye Trina." Jade turned around and left, she could almost feel the older girl's confusion as she stayed stalled at her locker.

Number seven:

Jade West twisted open the bottle of pills that had been decorating her night stand for weeks. She poured six light pink tablets into the palm of her hand, hoping that her sweat wouldn't melt the coating. She'd talked to six people today, all of whom had influenced her life, for better and for worse. _Beck_. She thought as she popped the pill into her mouth, washing it down with straight vodka and making a face. She'd had to sever ties with the only person who had loved her; she had to make sure that their breakup would soften the blow. _Tori. _She swallowed another pill. The shining star, the bitter enemy. Jade wanted to be Tori's cautionary tale, but she also wanted to make her feel a little bad. Was that so wrong? Probably. She took another gulp of vodka. _Andre._ He was a real friend to her, a light in a lonely world. He would carry on the good side of her. Or what was left of it. He would calm everybody down, tell them not to judge. _Cat._ This pill hurt, it cut her throat. She took two huge sips. For good luck, of course. Cat, the good girl. She was so pure and innocent that it was almost blinding to look at. That was it, no more thoughts about Cat. Jade noticed tears falling from her eyes, dripping down her neck and staining her shirt. _Robbie._ She'd always wanted to slap some sense into that boy, and today was her lucky day. He needed to be a man, and sometimes that means pain. Robbie needed to learn to take pain, even fester in it. _Trina._ She swallowed and sipped. The last pill. She didn't know why she had talked to Trina. Maybe she wanted to let the girl off the hook. She needed to let her say some of the stuff Jade deserved to hear. Jade knew Trina would deliver the final push. All gone, her hand was empty, only a faint pink streak across her palm. Jade knocked the vodka bottle off the table, the glass shattered around her and she lay down on her floor. She had done it; she had had all of her conversations. Except maybe the most important one. Now all that was left was to wait for her father to come home. Jade pulled up her sleeves, showing the deep purple bruises covering her arms.


End file.
